India, April 15 -- A massive oil spill in Ecuador last month has left at least 150,000 people in need of humanitarian assistance, according to an assessment by UN aid coordination office OCHA.
The disaster was caused by the rupture of the SOTE pipeline in Esmeraldas province in March, resulting in the spilling of more than 25,000 barrels of oil.
The UN Disaster Assessment and Coordination, team, which is part of OCHA, carried out the assessment.
In addition to the thousands affected, the team also pointed to a concerning increase in respiratory and gastrointestinal diseases, as well as limited access to safe drinking water.
People's livelihoods have been particularly hit hard, especially in fishing, agriculture and shellfish harvesting....